MAORIS WIN AT LEICESTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18046, 5 January 1927, Page 10

MAORIS WIN AT LEICESTER.

VICTORY BY TWO POINTS IN AN EXCITING GAME. (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, November 29. The Maoris beat Leicester at Leicester on Saturday by a goal, a dropped goal and two tries (15 points) to two goals and a penalty goal (13 points). Though they were the much better team on the day’s play and richly deserved to win, the Maoris did not do so without a tremendous struggle. For the greater part of the game they were behind, and it was not until ten minutes from the end that they secured the lead. They immediately lost it, and then immediately won it back again and held on grimly to the end, though Leicester made valiant attempts to wrest victory from them in the closing minutes of the game. That the Maoris were so long in arrears was largely their own fault, for if their kicking at goal had been at all accurate they might easily have gained a lead from the two tries that they scored, as well as from a number of penalty kicks awarded to them in positions that were not too dffiicult. Their second try, indeed, was scored right behind the posts, but D. Pelham, who took this kick, as he did most of the others, struck the crossbar, the ball rebounding on the wrong side. Pelham, indeed, seemed at one time to have lost the match for his side by his faulty place-kicking, but in the end he won it with a splendid kick after the last try scored. Had he failed the result would have been a draw, but he made certain of that one vital kick. The play of the Maoris was disappointing as a whole, and they did not show that excellent combination and knowledge of one another’s play which might be expected, from a team which has played together so frequently. Both forwards and backs played with great vigour. Their forwards quite held their own, and their backs had the better of Leicester behind the scrummage, yet of their inside players only Kingi and Bell did well, and the ball rarely travelled out beyond them to the fast wing men, Phillips and Falwasser. These last two seemed to be the strongest part of the Maoris’ attack, yet they had few chances, and, although Falwasser scored two tries, they came rather from his own s.kill in weaving a way through a host of opponents than from openings made for him by his partners. Bell seemed to be the ablest of the Maori players, and at times showed splendid judgment. At first he played close up to the scrummage, bent evidently on spoiling tactics, but that produced little more than a few free kicks, and he then drew back to play in the stand-off position, and there lie was of infinitely more value to llis side. Still, he was not quite so good as his direct opponent., H. D. Greenlees. Greenlees was quite the best player on the held. His taking of J. C. Russell's long passes was really wonderful. His running and

cutting through were well judged and clever, and his kicking to touch in defence was always good; there are few players who can give such accurate and swift passes. Indeed, Greenlees was the one player among the Leicester backs who showed really good form. Both Buckingham and Day were off colour, Day having a limp _which handicapped his play. At forward Leicester played finely, and F. D. Prentice gave his men a fine example of forward play which they were not slow to follow. The game had not been long, in progress when from a penalty kick Prentice scored a goal for his side. A little later there was a fine round of passing by the Leicester backs, in which Greenlees drew one of the defence before passing. Farndon received the ball at the halfway line, when he was just two yards from the touchline. He showed fine speed down the wing, beating Pelham, who cut across to try to stop him, and making a clever swerve which carried him past the full-back and enabled him to run right round behind the posts. Prentice kicked a goal. Before halftime Falwasser, getting the ball on the far side of the scrummage, forced his way over for a try, and Leicester led at half-time by S points to 3. In the second half Leicester rarely got beyond half-way and the Maoris did most of the attacking. Still it was some time before they scored. Then Falwasser fielded a ball cleverly near the half-way line, and ran up to within five yards of the line before he was stopped. He then cross-kicked, and Phillips, who got the ball, ran back in the direction of Falwasser, thp way ahead being blocked to him. The ball finally returned to Falwasser, and he' forced his way through the Leicester defence for a second try. A few minutes later Greenlees just missed a dropped goal from a difficult position. Then the Maoris’ backs got away and carried the ball over the Leicester line. Sambrook took the drop out, and the ball went straight into the hands of W. Wilson, who had time to steady himself and drop a goal. That gave the Maoris the lead for the first time, but it did not last long, for from a scrummage at the other end Russell got away and passed to Prentice, who got over for a try, which he himself converted. From the first scrummage after the kick-off the Maori backs got the ball again. Bell made a long run and passed to Falwasser, who carried it right to the line, where he passed to Gemmell, who liad simply to fall over for a try. Pelham made no mistake with the kick, which meant victory for his side. (It was a disappointing but very exciting game. The were:^

Leicesteri—L. S. Sambrook, back; C, !E. A. Flewitt, O. L. Bryson, and W. E. Farndon. three-quarter backs; IT. L. Y Day and R. A. Buckingham, fiveeighth backs; H. D. Greenlees and J. C. Russell, half-backs; F. D. Prentice, D. J. Noonan, E. G. Coleman. Guy German, A. 11. Greenwood, M. G. Christie, and P. V. Beamish, forwards.

Maoris—W. Potaka. back; 11. Phillips, D. Pelham, and A. Falwasser, three-quarter backs; H. Kingi and Wi Neera, five-eighth backs; T. Love and R. Bell, half-backs; O. S. Olsen, T. Dennis, W. Wilson, W. Rika, T. Robinson, J. Manihcra, and S. Gemmell, forwards. Referee —Mr G. Ilalc (Bristol).